Fake Braces Trend Takes Asia By Storm

In America, teenagers think that braces are awkward, dorky and
annoying. But in Asia, braces are cool. They're so cool in fact,
that teens in Thailand, Indonesia and China are even wearing fake
braces to make a fashion statement,
Vice Magazine reported. The trend is catching on because
braces are considered a sign of wealth and status.

The problem? Fake braces are also dangerous. Fake braces have
been linked to the deaths of two Thai teens so far, Vice
reported, leading the Thai government to ban fashion braces.
Officials say that some of the illegal braces that were seized
contained lead.

The trend has being going on for at least four years, and
Indonesian star Andika Kangen recently started wearing
pink-and-green fake braces, the
AFP reported.Teens are paying around $100 for black market
braces.

It's not the first time the trend has drawn international
attention--and government concern. "Some people put the fashion
(braces) on by themselves, which is dangerous because they could
come loose and slip into the throat," the secretary-general of
the Consumer Protection Board in Thailand told CBS in
2009.